Flawless Evil
by MasterOfGrey
Summary: There is another dark power in the old kingdom threatening the people. This old enemy will truly test them for all they are worth. Yeah I'm bad at summaries but I promise the story is better.
1. The Awakening

_Well this is my first Old Kingdom fan fic and only my second ever fan fic so I'm a bit nervous because my last one was in a sort of small forgotten section and this section gets lots more traffic. I do hope you like it though._

_**Disclaimer: I don't own it etc. I only own the bits I made up.**  
_

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**The Awakening**

At the base of the Clayre's glacier, where the ice melts into run-off and feeds into the rivers of the old kingdom, a slab of ice split and fell to the ground just as many had before in the natural process of things. From deep inside this slab of ice though, a white glow bean to permeate its substance. Slowly the glow rose until the top of the slab was nothing more than a transparent sliver sealing it shut. Seconds later it melted entirely opening a wide hole in the top of the ice that spread until almost the entire top half of the ice slab had melted away leaving a pool of water and only the slightest rim around the edge to contain it. For a moment there was complete silence, the glow faded and the water remained motionless, as if the world held its breath and waited.

A ripple, and then with infinite slowness a head emerged from the water, followed by shoulders, torso and, as the arms pushed up off the bottom, slowly the rest of the body until standing completely naked in the almost-knee-deep pool of water was a boy of fourteen. In the weak reflected light of the Glacier he seemed almost not to be quite there at all. His hair was a pale, fair blonde, both on his head and in the private places as well. His skin was pale almost to the point of translucency with a mesh of blue veins just barely visible across his skin. Despite this, his body was healthy, slender, perfectly proportioned and breathtakingly beautiful. To look at him would make any girl in Ancelstierre squeal with delight and awe. His eyes though were a cold ice blue and his features, though perfectly formed, were fixed into the faintest smile that was truly sinister.

Slowly he surveyed the area around him carefully, taking in all the details and feeling with his mind. Then he blinked. Ice crackled as it formed around his feet that were still submerged in the water and he stepped into Death. Stepping into the first precinct he summoned his powers and on a wave of pure free magic he swept through death, passing each precinct while reaching out with his powers and his mind, searching for any of his old allies. As he plunged deeper and deeper into Death though, his wave of magic carrying him effortlessly, he found none of his allies, none of the old spirits remained from before. Finally, in the deep darkness of the eighth precinct where the only light came from the small, flickering, smokeless fires, he found someone. The least of his allies in strength but the greatest of his allies in value remained.

The spirit of a boy, thirteen at the age of his death, his image uncorrupted by death by virtue of his nature being true to his form. Comparable in allure to the first boy he sat crouched in the waters of the precinct, huddled away at a point of little current seemingly asleep, though things that are dead do not sleep. Dispersing his wave of magic the pale boy walked lightly towards the spirit, when he reached the spirit he knelt and lifted his hand to brush away the spirits mousy, brown hair. The eyes opened and the deep liquid blue stared back at him with a purity that shocked him. A thousand years or more had passed but still this boy's spirit and form remained true.

He reached out and placed his hand on the spirits shoulder, offering his other hand to be taken. Wordlessly the spirit boy clasped his hand and stood, no words passed between them but after a moment the spirit nodded. Turning the pale boy summoned another wave of free magic and leading the spirit by the hand they swept swiftly back towards Life.

* * *

Sabriel stood at the window of the observatory on the fifth floor of Abhorsen's house and looked out over the waterfall. She was bored. The whole family; herself and Touchstone, Sameth, Ellimere and Lirael as well as Nick and Mogget were at Abhorsen's house for a holiday. Sabriel had insisted the family come to visit for at least a while. With Sameth taking over most of day to day responsibilities of running the Old Kingdom, Touchstone spent less and less time being useful and more time dithering about. With Lirael performing most of the work of the Abhorsen now Sabriel also found herself with less to do.

A blessing in many ways now that she was becoming a more mature woman, having had two children certainly hadn't helped her fitness and riding days in the saddle or hiking through forest after dead creatures was hard work. Her mind was still active and alert though and even if Touchstone was happy to dither around and supervise his son while pursuing random hobbies she was not happy to sit and do nothing. This line of thinking had fouled her mood over the past couple of weeks and so she had insisted the family spend some time together away from it all. The kingdom wasn't going to fall apart in three days.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Mogget came in. Now collarless, Mogget still chose the form of a white cat more from habit than anything else. "The Clayre are here, look out towards the paperwing platform."

Turning to look out the window Sabriel was in time to see the paperwing's final majestic movement as it dropped out of the sky onto the platform. As she watched two figures climbed out, after squinting a little to see in the dying light of evening they became recognisable as the twins Sanar and Ryelle.

"Why are they here Mogget?" said Sabriel as she turned back to the cat. Mogget had vanished though, his soft footpads slipping down the stairs quickly and quietly. After one last quick look out the window Sabriel hurried down the stairs to get the others and meet the Clayre twins. This was certainly an unexpected visit.

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_So what do you think? I really loved writing this so I really hope you liked reading it because I think it's fairly good._

_Mogget: "Well aren't you full of yourself Mr Smartypants"_

_Me: "Not really, I'm allowed to think it's good aren't I It is my writing after all...."_

_Mogget trails off mumbling about people with big heads.. 0.o_

_Anyway... Please R&R I don't much care what you say and I'm completely open for criticism, I'm writing these to get better after all. :D  
_


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

_Well Here's chapter 2 everyone, thankyou soo much to GOGHOTi for that glowing review, you really made me want to keep writing._

_**Disclaimer: I only own my bits, the world and traditional characters are all owned by Garth Nix.**  
_

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**An Unexpected Visit**

The wind was chill, but to the two boys standing on the hill it was inconsequential. Below them lay the town of Navis. In the moonlight they could see it was surrounded by thick walls and constructed of heavy stone to keep out menaces both living and dead. A charter light on the guardhouse flickered and the pale boy began his descent, as he walked the snow barely pressed beneath his feet and the squeak of new snow was lost in the wind. The spirit boy left no mark of his passage at all.

Reaching the bottom of the hill the pale boy, now clothed, paused. Then as his companion faded into the night, the pale boy stepped into the circle of light around the gatehouse. In the bright white glow of the charter lights he was a remarkable sight. He wore soft, white boots with high quality, white trousers and on both his forearms he wore white cloth bracers with small knife handles protruding at the wrist end. Across his bare chest hung the hallmark bandolier of a necromancer, the bell handles glinting in the charter light. Unlike most, however, his was made entirely of white materials as well.

From the guardhouse window above a voice called down, "Who are you, and what is your purpose here fiend?" The pale boy looked up at the guard and smiled, "I am Reece Daw of course, and I am your salvation."

At that the guard stuck his head right out the window and looked down at the boy in shock. _What sort of mad trick is this?_ he thought. Out loud he called down, "Why should we believe you? You wear the bells of a necromancer and stand half naked in the snow yet you are unaffected by the cold. Only the dead do act in such a way."

Reaching up with his hand Reece brushed aside his fringe, as he stared up at the guard a charter mark flashed ice blue on his forehead. "Send out your Charter Mages, I am untainted, you will see."

The guards head pulled back inside the window and there was a quiet muttering. After a long moment there was a creaking and the heavy iron gates opened. Three figures stepped out, warmly dressed with hoods up against the wind. Two of them clinked as they walked, revealing the presence or chain mail, and carried halberds laced with charter spells. The third approached right up to Reece and removed a glove from one hand, carefully he reached up and pressed his finger to the charter mark on Reece's forehead. Again it flashed ice blue and this time the charter mages flashed green in response.

Stepping back the charter mage removed his hood and stared at the pale boy in surprise, "How is this possible, that you should be a necromancer and of the charter?" Cocking his head to one side a little Reece simply grinned, "Everything impossible is an illusion; remember that," he paused and looked around at the guards, "well is anyone going to let me in now? It is cold out here you know."

Flustered the charter mage quickly led the way back through the gates, and as the wind's wailing reached a new height the great iron gates sealed shut with a resounding clang.

***

Sabriel stood just outside the garden door with Sanar and Ryelle. They had stopped her before she entered the house and while one of them kept the others distracted at the door the other urgently whispered a message to Sabriel, "Sameth must not return to Belisaere, if he goes there before the moon has waxed twice he will die."

Quickly so as not to seem suspicious Sanar then caught Sabriel's hand and led her inside, smiling at the others comments on what a wonderful surprise it was to see them here. After some pleasantries and after Lirael had hugged them both and asked how things were back at the glacier the twins suddenly grew serious again though. "As much as we are happy to see you all, especially our sister Lirael, we do not come bearing good news. Perhaps it is best we go someplace where we can talk that is perhaps more comfortable than standing."

The sudden change of tone caught most of them off-guard and there a moment of awkward silence before Touchstone began shooing everyone towards the dining room, "Sure… there are plenty of chairs in the dining room so we shall talk there." Sanar and Ryelle inclined their heads in appreciation of the effort and followed behind the others.

Sabriel held back though and approached Sanar carefully, "What did you mean earlier? You have to tell me more, please, he's my son." Sanar looked sorrowful as she gazed into Sabriel's face, "I am sorry my child, but that is all we know."

When everyone was seated at the dining table, or in Mogget's case 'on' the dining table, one of the twins stood, "We are here because we have 'seen' something, a menace sealed away in the glacier a thousand years ago has returned, a necromancer, and a very, very old one. Alas when we attempted to reach him ourselves he had already escaped, we failed and now we must bring this to you because no one else has a chance."

"We beat Orannis, how hard can another necromancer be?" Sameth's joking tones quickly died when Mogget interrupted. "Fool, you well know that Orannis was only defeated because we struck him in his earliest moment of weakness." Turning his cat eyes upon Ryelle who had not yet spoken he asked, "This is the white-mancer isn't it?"

Ryelle looked down but answered the question nonetheless, "Indeed, the white-mancer has returned."

As more voices clamoured to ask questions Mogget wearily closed his eyes and, with a gentle sigh, rested his head on his paws once again.

* * *

_Well there it is. I hope you like it because I had a frustrating moment of writers block in the middle of the Sabriel section so then I obsessed over it for ages till I felt it was right and well... I still have my doubts._

_The stories moving along though, see how many hints of the future you can pick out ;)_

_Please R&R, I love to hear from others and I'll try and get the next chapter up as quickly as I got this one up. (No promises though _;)_ )_


	3. Birth of an Empire

_Yay, thankyou to my reviewers, I'm really glad you like the story so far. This one was really long and I didn't intend it to be but that's good right?..._

_Anyway I'll just let you read it instead of rabbiting on here. Enjoy!_

_**Disclaimer: The usual....**  
_

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**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**Birth of an Empire**

Reece stood in the town square as the sun rose over the sea to the east. In the early morning light his white countenance was stained with orange, making him appear as if he were a spirit of fire. A crowd had gathered, though the townsfolk mostly huddled around the outside and watched while holding children back, only some of the warriors with their halberds or battle axes strode the square without apparent fear.

In front of Reece rose the Town Hall, an impressive building by the standards of these people, though in truth nothing spectacular. It was solid stone like all the buildings around here and sported an iron gate similar to the one on the outer wall.

There was a loud clang and the two guards by the door stood to attention, rapping the base of their halberds against the masonry. As the doors opened an aging man, clearly once an impressive figure but now withered, in chain mail armour with fine furs and a battle axe hanging from his waist, stepped out and descended the three steps into the town square stopping about five metres short of the necromancer.

Carefully the man looked Reece up and down as if assessing him, despite the chill of the morning Reece wore no warm clothes and indeed not even a complete set of clothes at all. The old man however did not seem surprised, merely wary of the strange boy and his bells.

"Traditionally my subjects and visitors to this northern realm bow before me, yet you make no effort to show obeisance, state your purpose or I will have you thrown out of our town to freeze." The man's eyes bored into Reece's but he merely grinned.

Looking around the square for a moment before returning his attention to the man he said, "And who are you that you should have the authority to threaten me? Perhaps you think yourself king in this northern land?"

The 'king' laughed, "'Who am I?' you ask? I _am_ the king of this northern land, or did you jest in ignorance? Little more than I would expect from a boy. Now tell me, why are you here?" His voice grew harsh on the last words but the necromancer did not flinch.

"Did I not already say? I swear I told your guards I was here to be your saviour," the boy paused and looked around momentarily before speaking again with an almost offhand tone, "oh and how can you be king if the king rules in Belisaere?"

Among the crowd mutterings started up and the kings gaze grew frosty. "Silence!" he cried, "The king rules in Belisaere and I rule the northern lands under him, I am still king here for as much as you need to care."

Reece's face cracked with a sinister grin and he turned to face the people, "Do you not see that your king is a fool? You who are the greatest warrior people? You are the berserkers of the north and yet you hide here behind your stone walls with a man who claims to be king and yet does nothing more than sit in his throne and grow older."

The necromancer spoke with the voice of youth but it was no less inspiring and no less powerful than it would have been from any of the great kings and speakers of the past. "You as a people deserve to be the rulers, to be the rulers who would straddle the world with your greatness and drive the dead back to their realm. Yet you are still here, a small almost forgotten people, barely known except a few travellers and in legends of greater battles and past times."

From the crowd there was now a few cries of "Here, here!" though there were also mutterings of dissent as well. Who was this pale boy who should berate them so?

Spinning to face the 'king', who was now angry but somewhat bewildered by all of this, he pointed his finger, "You are the failure to your people, you could have done something but instead you stood by and did nothing as another generation passed into obscurity." Reece was guessing now, gambling that his evaluation of the people was right. Though when there were a few more cries and shouts he figured he was indeed correct.

The king was outraged, spluttering he almost spoke to counter Reece's accusations but Reece stopped him. "But," he said, quite suddenly holding everyone in the grip of silence that only a great speaker can do, "you can be redeemed."

The crowd seemed to hold its breath and the 'king' frowned. "Let me lead you, give over your service to me and I will make your people the greatest power, I shall make you king of the entire world, never will your people pass into obscurity."

The 'king' was stunned; he could neither reply nor even quite comprehend exactly what had been said, the crowd however, began to cheer, and some of the warriors took to rapping the bases of their halberds against the cobbles. Finally the gears of the old kings brain turned over and he realised he'd been had. If he refused either the necromancer would kill him or his own people would dethrone him. Silently he bowed his head and reached out his hand to the pale boy, gesturing that he should enter the Town Hall with him. As they ascended the steps he wordlessly offered up a prayer to the gods that he had not just done a terrible, terrible thing.

***

The group were heading north, Sabriel and Touchstone in the lead with Lirael and Nick just behind them. Sameth was sulking in the rear with only Mogget for company, he was unhappy after Sabriel had told him that he was to stay behind at High Bridge while the rest of them moved on elsewhere.

"How come I have to stay behind while they go off up north to find this guy? I can look after myself." Stubbornly he flicked another bit of leaf at his horses head, being only a bit of leaf it didn't actually achieve anything but it made him feel better. He had broken off a small branch of leaves nearly half an hour ago and proceeded to shred almost half of the leaves so far.

"Stop whining boy, I'm sure your parents know what's best, besides they had a perfectly good reason," said Mogget, his big cat eyes boring into the back of Sameth's head.

"I'm to stay at high Bridge, call in the garrisons and make sure that the villages and towns in the central area are secure against renewed attacks from the Dead, I know and it makes perfect sense, but why me! Surely a general or an officer can be left to do that?" Sulkily he pelted another fragment of leaf at his horse's head which fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Look, if you're going to be king you just have to get used to the fact that sometimes generals and officers can't be trusted with that sort of responsibility," unsheathing a claw he poked Sameth in the back to ensure he had his attention, "You've also got to get used to the fact that sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to."

Shifting his position in his carry-basket he muttered, "If you don't like it take it up with your mother, I'm trying to sleep here."

Sameth sighed, even without little Ranna tinkling around his neck Mogget still seemed to sleep more than any normal cat should. Pelting another fragment of leaf at his horses head he broke the quiet again, "Why should I talk to Mum? It was Dad that told me I was staying at High Bridge."

Mogget opened one eye and focused his gaze on Sameth as the prince turned in his saddle, "Perhaps you should talk to him then."

"No, you know as well as I do that my father was the one that told me so why did you say to ask Mum?" He looked at Mogget suspiciously.

"I don't know, perhaps I just like her better, goodnight."

"Mogget, no answer my question… damn it Mogget!" but Mogget was quite completely asleep.

Muttering about stupid cats Sameth turned back around in his saddle and kicked his horse so that she closed the gap between him and the rest of the group before returning to his leaf shredding.

Another fragment of leaf fell harmlessly to the ground.

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_Woot! I got ya didn't I? You're all thinking necromancer is going to kill someone and then... he didn't! Muahahah! ... anyways I promise Reece will actually do some Necromancy in the next chapter. Not sure what yet but he'll do something.  
_

_I hope you liked the Sameth POV for this one as well, I figured Sabriel wouldn't work so well here so I swapped, I hope it was ok..._

_Anyways please Review, you know that little button down the bottom? Well actually it's a big button now but you get my point, I just love to hear what people think! Criticism is welcome as well as long as it's constructive. (Seriously I would like you to criticise it if you can. I'm here to get better after all!) :D  
_


	4. The Penalty for Error

_Thankyou to Timayy (more y's) since you're the only one who reviewed chapter 3 before I got around to posting this. XD  
_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own the world or the traditional characters, just my own additions.**_

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**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**The Penalty for Error**

Reece once again stood in the town square as he watched the last of the useful items be removed from the Town Hall. Overhead the midday sun beat down upon the stonework making it pleasantly warm. A few metres away the 'king' dithered about. "Nikolai, stop dithering and come here, tell me what enchantments are there on the town hall hmm?"

Shuffling forwards the old warrior spoke, "Very old enchantments, against fire, against the dead, against destruction and against pestilence. That is all I know, they were put in place a very long time ago."

"Tell everyone to stand clear of the town hall." Without waiting for a reply Reece raised his arms and closed his eyes. No words issued from his mouth but it was clear that he was focusing intensely. Between him and the town hall flickers of white light passed back and forth, the ground began to shake and birds took flight all over town. As he stood there and blocked out the world around him he chanted in his mind the words of free magic that he would need, an almost endless litany of harsh phrases that burnt his mind as he projected them across the space between him and the town hall.

As the flickering flashes of light intensified the building began to come apart, its ancient enchantments failing, each with a brilliant release of magical energy, scorching the cobbles of the square. Stone split and the roof shattered to fall inwards, stones rearranged themselves and slowly, gradually a structure began to rise up, the stones of the ground pulling apart and piling atop each other to build some mighty structure.

Then, inextricably, something went wrong. A great swathe of stones shattered into dust. Inside his head the chant picked up speed, the phrases burning themselves into his brain. Outside the screeching wail of tortured stone reached a climax before with a blinding flash of light, a resounding clap of thunder and a cloud of stone dust that enveloped the entire town in barely more than an instant, the building collapsed. The magic failed and Reece dropped his arms. Hidden in the cloud of dust he brought one hand up to his head and massaged his forehead. When the dust finally settled enough to see again though his appearance was as usual, stern, cold, sinister and powerful.

Looking around he announced, "I require a sacrifice." His eyes alighted on the old 'king's' wife. "Bring her." Screaming the old lady was brought forwards to stand before him. The guards restraining her stood quivering in fear. With a gesture he motioned them away and stared at the old lady as she cowered in front of him. Without warning he spoke five harsh words in rapid succession, "harash, mkil, katchak, polk, gerachk." On the first word a spire of rock slightly taller than a man thrust itself up from the ground, on the second word the woman was pulled up against it and bound to it by magic, on the third the necromancer drew one of his long thin knives and at the same time a coating of white liquid fire spread across his body, on the fourth the knife flashed with a brilliant sheen that both shone and shimmered simultaneously and on the fifth word with a movement that was almost faster than the eyes could follow he plunged the blade into her head, directly between the eyes. Her piercing scream that had begun on the first word died as her body convulsed against its magical bonds.

There was a sound like the rushing of air and in the immediate vicinity of the spire the charter spells sealing the barrier between life and death collapsed. Frost cracked on the ground and the spirit boy stepped out of death back into life.

The two boys eyes locked and again no words passed between them but after a moment the spirit boy nodded and walked around to stand behind Reece, gently placing his hand on Reece's should the ghost of a charter mark flashed gold on his forehead.

Suddenly Reece's head was filled with the charter, a string of marks almost endless and complex beyond measure. Once again he raised his arms and this time instead of white energy streams, charter marks flew from his fingers, big, small and in every colour of the rainbow. Sinking into rocks, binding rocks and raising rocks. Soon the structure was complete and Reece let his arms drop and opened his eyes.

A stronghold rose five stories into the air in front of him, of the original town hall no trace remained in the structure of its existence. The outer walls rose two stories to a large platform area from which the three remaining upper floors protruded. Each corner was adorned by a two-story guardhouse and the very highest floor consisted of only one room. Through the wide glass windows that gave the room a clear three hundred and sixty degree view could be seen seven bells hung in a circle, large scale replicas of a necromancer's bells.

Well pleased with himself Reece ascended the seven steps that led up to the main gate and stepped inside, Nikolai following just two steps behind him.

"What is this place? Who are you?" Nikolai stuttered, the old warrior reduced to a wreck by the loss of his wife and the fear that now gripped him.

As others began to climb the steps and enter in Reece walked close to the old man and whispered in his ear, "Put it this way your majesty. You should never have let me in the gates."

Chuckling, Reece left the stunned 'king' standing in the main hall of the stronghold as he walked back outside into the light.

***

Sameth stood brushing his horse, it was taking him an unnaturally long time because of all the leaf fragments that had become tangled in its mane. Around him the rest of the family, as well as a small group of guards who had been waiting for them since Touchstone had bade them wait four days before on their way to Abhorsen's House, set up camp. The bustle was generally subdued, the guards didn't know why the family had returned early but they were smart enough to realise there couldn't be a good reason, or at least their commanding officer was smart enough to realise and inform them anyway.

When he finally finished, picketed his horse and walked over to the campfire he found the rest of them in a discussion about the white-mancer.

"He'll be near Sindle, they're always near Sindle," stated Sabriel matter-of-factly.

"You do realise that this one is supposed to be different, even the Clayre are scared of him," Lirael was, as ever, being too smart for her own good.

"Sindle is still the logical place to start, it's always suffered from the Dead and its defences have never truly recovered because it's too heavily haunted, the perfect place to start creating a Dead army," Sabriel said.

Sitting down on a log Sameth asked, "Does it matter where he starts? One way or another we are still going to have to deal with him on many different fronts more than likely. You're already leaving me at High Bridge to organise things down south, if you're planning where to go to catch him why not just split up and manage things from all over?"

There was a moment of quiet before Touchstone spoke, "Yes of course, very good son. We will split up; I will go to Belisaere and sort things out there, Sabriel and Lirael can start by going to Sindle and then move on from there and Sameth can organise the garrison to bring troop support up north if we need it."

Nick suddenly laughed out loud, "Sorry guys, I don't mean to be rude but doesn't this seem to be a bit much just to deal with one necromancer? I mean, you've dealt with dozens before."

Sabriel shifted a little uncomfortably, "Well I guess we might be over-reacting, may as well be safe though, you never know what can happen."

"Exactly, you never know what can happen and that is why, for once, I agree with your idiot son. Split up and prepare, you may need every bit of preparation before this is over." Mogget wandered into the firelight, his scornful tones echoing in everyone's ears, "yes you heard me, this will be the fight of your lives. If you thought Hedge or Chlorr was dangerous then you've got another thing coming for you."

Delicately Mogget seated himself on a small patch of dry ground and began to clean himself.

"You seem to know more about this than you're letting on here. Tell us Mogget, what makes him so much more dangerous," Sabriel was perhaps the only one who could stand up to Mogget's didactic temperament.

"The difference between the white-mancer and any other necromancer you've ever fought is brains. The white-mancer is possibly one of the smartest people ever born in the old kingdom. He is always one step ahead and the last time he was only stopped by luck, perseverance and a healthy number of imperial troops. I won't point out that there's a lack of imperial troops in existence at the moment."

Touchstone looked a little pained, "Is he really all that bad?"

Mogget fixed his green cat eyes on Touchstone, "He's worse than that if you can believe it." Carefully he stood and avoiding any wet ground he left, effectively ending the conversation.

* * *

_Well there ya have it. I know I promised Reece would do some necromancy but I just couldn't fit it in I'm sorry! *cries*_

_I hope I did Mogget well enough there Timayy (more y's) because I know you like Mogget and I personally don't think Mogget quite worked in that chapter. We might have a different POV again next chapter but I haven't decided yet, you'll have to wait and find out lol._

_Anyway, review, review, review! you know the big cream button with green writing? (see I got it right this time _;)_ ) I love you :D_

_Till next time.  
_


	5. Preparation

_Yep here it is, it's a short one this time but I'm sure you'll all cope._

_There was totally something else I was going to say here but I completely forgot so just read and enjoy._

_**Disclaimer: ... I do not own the stuff Garth Nix created...**  
_

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**Preparation**

The sun was rising, again. Impatiently Reece stood on the steps to the stronghold and watched as the townsfolk brought in more loads of peat soil. It was somewhat frozen, having been dug up from the surrounding moors in the bitter cold; although it may have been early spring, it still snowed nightly.

Finally there were eight piles that met his requirements. He would have liked more but eight would have to do for now. Walking down into the square again he gestured to the guards who stood terrified holding their prisoners. Reece chuckled to himself; _if they think they are afraid now just wait till I give them something to be afraid of_.

Eight elderly people were led forward into the square; five of them were barely conscious, not even aware of their surroundings so far had their minds deteriorated. Another one of them stood there drooling while the other two lay on pallets, normally attended by loving family members these two were now held out in the cold on his whim.

Each one was laid or placed on or next to a pile of peat, once this was done the guards moved out of the way quickly. Surveying the scene in front of him Reece's expression wrinkled with distaste. Old people, he hated them, he would never become old. He had made sure of that a long time ago.

Behind him the spirit boy reached forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. He raised his hand and spoke, eight charter marks glittered in the air before suddenly transforming into little silver blades and flashing across the intervening space to execute all eight of the elderly standing in the square. As their blood drained across the piles of peat Reece drew two of his bells, Mosrael and Saraneth. Simultaneously he rang both bells and recited an ancient free magic incantation. At first little happened but then a gout of fire burst up from one of the piles. This was quickly followed by fires on the other seven and slowly the peat began to take form, the bodies and blood of the deceased being absorbed into the dark fibre of their being.

Moments later as the last echoes of Mosrael and Saraneth died eight mordicants stood tall in the square. It wasn't until one of them exhaled a breath of fire though that someone screamed. People fled the square in chaos, soon only the toughest few remained. Chuckling Reece descended the steps and looked at each in turn, he selected the two largest and sent them into the stronghold. He then gave the rest of them over to the spirit boy who waited as one by one, via the stone spire in the middle of the square, they stepped through into death. Silently, Reece then turned and walked back into the stronghold.

Out on the walls sentries saw five of the mordicants reappear and take up positions around the town but the spirit boy, as well as the smallest mordicant did not reappear.

***

Sameth stood exasperatedly on the docks as he waited for Nick and Lirael to finish saying their goodbyes. They had taken a boat at the first river town they came to and travelled at speed by magic to arrive quickly at High Bridge where he would now be left behind with Nick while the rest of his family went off to see some action. Bored, he scuffed his feet on the woodwork of the docks. He was saved from further boredom though by a certain lieutenant arriving to greet him.

After the lieutenant had finished explaining his lack of preparation for the prince's arrival and Sameth had finished assuring him that it wasn't his fault because it was unexpected much to Mogget's amusement.

That was one thing Sameth figured he could be grateful for. The frustrating old cat would be travelling further north with Sabriel so at least he would have some peace while he carried out his 'thrilling' duties of organising the garrison.

Finally Nick and Lirael finished their intimate moment and Sabriel steered the boat back into the river where it whizzed off upstream again. They would probably keep going until quite late, Sameth did not envy them the sleep they would be missing out on.

Trudging up the steps Sameth resigned himself to what he thought was surely going to be a very boring stay.

* * *

_Told ya it was short didn't I? As promised though Reece did some necromancy, hope you like it. Muahahah! Oh and in case you haven't noticed my chapters are littered with little hints about the nature of Reece and his allies and about the past where he first appeared. See if you can piece them together._

_Thankyou again to my two devoted reviewers.  
_

_Chapter 6 will come very soon so keep your eyes peeled_ (hint hint lol)


	6. Curious Wanderings

_Here we go, bit of a long one here. It might also be the last chapter with Sameth in it for a while but I haven't decided yet so don't despair early._

_Also, don't worry if you haven't pieced together the hints about Reece's past yet. It's supposed to be tantalising, there is of course more hints in this chapter but they're well hidden (I think) so good luck finding them._

_Anyway, thankyou to all of my reviewers, especially InkyBlackSkies and I hope you enjoy this new chapter._

**_Disclaimer: I do not own the world, Sameth, mordicants etc. I do own Reece because he is my best ever bad guy and I think he is awesome XD_**

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**Curious Wanderings**

Reece stepped off the final step into the bell room and was struck by the dazzling light of the sun. As the sun set, the light leaking over the mountains shone through the great glass windows and shimmered off the bells with a presence that almost rang. As he watched the sun set Reece thought that this was true magic.

After the sun had vanished he moved away from the windows and look around. With a slight chuckle he noted the decorative patterns on the window arches. They would be _his_ additions, Reece would personally have left them plain but they were tasteful enough. This was an important room after all.

Circling the room it suddenly struck him that something was a little odd. After a moment or two he suddenly realised it was the bells, there were eight bells when there should only have been seven. Carefully he walked around the room tapping each bell with a small silver rod that he'd brought up especially for the task. Ranna, Mosrael, Kibeth, Dyrim, Belgaer, Saraneth, Astarael. With each tap the bells gave of the slightest echo of the ring that would be their true sound if rung properly and on each bell their engraved names glimmered as they were struck. Finally he reached the last bell, it was the biggest, bigger than Astarael and when it was struck the note, though very low, was remarkably penetrating. The engraving on its surface glimmered with the word Yrael.

Staring curiously at the last bell Reece was a little surprised that as the last echoes of the sound died there was a small squeak from down on the steps leading up to the room. Spinning and moving to the stairs quickly Reece was only just in time to see a glimpse of a foot as it vanished around the corner. With a word there was a fizzling crack and the bottom of the stairs were sealed with a wall of white energy. Reece then descended the stairs to find his quarry huddled fearfully at the bottom trapped by the magical wall.

To his surprise he found two people at the bottom of the stairs, twin boys about thirteen years old. "Stand," he commanded. Warily the two boys stood, when huddled together they made an interesting sight against the white backdrop. Carefully Reece looked them up and down like a buyer would look at a horse. He approached and lifted their chins so that he could look into their eyes, they were afraid but they were glorious in their defiance, their eyes twinkled with a spirit that was capable of great joy but one that burned with a fierce determination. Finally a smile turned up the corners of his mouth and he spoke again, "What are your names, and have you two been baptised by the charter?"

The two looked down and scuffed their feet a bit, "We were baptised by the charter, but we are Ole."

Reece frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Our mother spent all she had to get us baptised in the charter, it costs money to register names on the scrolls of the people and we were too poor to be given the dignity of separate names, so we are Ole."

The twins both looked at their feet again and Reece grinned, he had been about to go looking for someone to be his butler but it seemed the candidates had just come to him. "Well it seems I shall have to give you new names, henceforth you shall be Leif and Knut." Stepping forward he placed a finger on their cheeks and whispered a word, when he took it away each of them had a small silver teardrop mark at the edge of their eye, Leif at the edge of his right eye and Knut at the edge of his left. For a moment he merely looked at them, a fond memory floating in his vision.

"I shall not harm you for spying, instead you will be the head of my servants and the messengers of my will," at the look of delight on their faces Reece could not help but smile, "Go now, tell the people I have named you and recruited you to my service, tell them to bring out all the boys and girls aged twelve to sixteen and assemble them in the square at dawn. So says the white-mancer."

Snapping his fingers the white wall vanished and the two boys rushed out, the mordicants did not touch them nor even look at them. Now that they bore Reece's mark none of his Dead would bother them.

As he listened to their cries spread throughout the town he hoped that the day he had spent giving speeches and convincing the people that the loss of their elderly would only benefit them was not in vain. They were an annoying people, given to fear and superstition but he needed them if his plan were to be successful…

***

Sameth stood in a clearing several minutes walk away from the edge of High Bridge, it probably wasn't the best idea but he had his sword and he didn't care, he needed some peace and quiet so he had gone wandering out of curiosity. Organising the garrisons to send out messages, put them on alert and start bringing soldiers to High Bridge in preparation seemed to be a far more hectic job than he had expected.

His musings were interrupted though when quite unexpectedly he felt the presence of something Dead very near by, something very powerfully dead. Cursing he drew his sword and looked around in the dark trying to locate whatever it was, the charter marks on his blade glimmering slightly in the dark.

When whatever the thing was started making loud crashing sounds headed right towards him he decided running was the better option. Turning, sword in hand, he sped off into the trees back towards high-bridge, behind him the crashing grew louder and closer and all he could think of was the horrors from the book of the dead. One page in particular.

As he entered another clearing there was a final crash and he was thrown to the ground by a tree branch that had been hurled his way. Rolling to look back at his opponent his worst fears were realised. Standing in the light of the full moon, silhouetted from his view-point against the starry sky, stood a mordicant.

Carefully it cast about searching for him, it could obviously feel him but on the ground if he didn't move it might not locate him in the dark. Of course he forgot how well dead things see in the dark. Suddenly it roared and rushed across the clearing towards him.

Three steps were all it would have taken, in three steps it would have been on him but it only managed two. Calling the first charter symbol that came to mind Sameth screamed it out in desperation. A thunder-flash sparked across the intervening distance and exploded with a force that ripped branches off trees all around the clearing and nearly blinded Sameth with its intensity. The mordicant stumbled backwards, nearly a whole two steps, it was clearly damaged, its substance giving off a pungent burnt odour. It recovered though and roared again, fire lighting up the clearing around it.

Sameth slumped back on the ground, that spell had taken everything out of him. The mordicant prepared to lunge forwards again but just as it did somebody else appeared. A boy leapt over Sameth and screamed a word, as he landed a great orange charter mark flashed brilliant in the clearing. From his position on the ground Sameth thought the boy and his spell seemed oddly insubstantial, the torrent of fire that issued from the charter mark as it hung in the air however was definitely real. An inferno burst forth and blasted outwards at the mordicant, its heat causing the trees to catch light and the grass to wither and flare. A scream of rage rent the night but in the face of such fiery fury it retreated, stepping back into death leaving many fragments of its being scattered smoking on the ground.

The charter spell shimmered and vanished without a trace and the boy turned towards Sameth to help him up. Once standing and able see the boy clearly he discovered that, despite feeling very much solid when he had gripped his hand, in the light of the full moon the boy was indeed seemingly insubstantial, Sameth could just see the outlines of trees through the boy's body. His skin was pale, almost to the point of being white like a necromancer and his messy, mousy, brown hair partially covered a golden charter mark on his forehead that was slowly fading.

"Um, thanks I guess, you saved my life," Sameth was almost staring at the boy in awe. "Who are you?" he whispered.

The boy chuckled, "My name is Kaddison, and I'm no one special, just happened to be here at the right time I guess."

It was at that point that Sameth quite suddenly realised Kaddison was wearing very little in the way of clothes, he wore a pair of dark blue shorts and that was it. Sameth was wearing three layers of clothing because of the night chill but somehow this boy seemed unaffected. A cloud passed across the moon and it suddenly went much darker, Sameth called forth some small measure of energy and summoned a weak charter light, all he could manage at this time. When he looked back to Kaddison he was solid though, no trace of the earlier transparency remained.

"Come on, come back to High Bridge, I can't leave you out here in the cold and you should be rewarded for your bravery. Surely a warm bed would be preferable to this chill?" While offering this Sameth tried to reason with what he had seen earlier. Surely it was just a trick of the light, the boy had felt solid and he looked solid now. It must have been the shock and the after image of his thunder-flash, yes that's what it must have been.

Shaking his head Kaddison disagreed though, "No I really must be going perhaps I will see you again and you can reward me then. Goodbye."

Sameth took a moment to realise he had just been rejected, "Wait!" he called, but to no avail, Kaddison was already gone. Muttering to himself about how useless he seemed to be, he trudged back down the hill towards High Bridge, on his way he came across a group of guards sent out to investigate and when he had finished assuring them that he was perfectly fine they escorted him the rest of the way. His morose feelings of being suddenly dropped by the very person who had just saved his life completely erased all thoughts about the boy's strange appearance under moonlight and the origins of the mordicant.

***

Kaddison had barely passed the hill's crest when he dropped the facade and stepped into death, there he anchored himself with the last reserves of his strength and collapsed. His spirit drained, he lay there, perhaps in a week or so he would rise again, when he had recovered.

* * *

_Well there ya have it, I finally revealed the spirit boy's name. Remember it because it'll be important later. (Hint Hint)_

_I really feel like Sameth was a bit out of character in this one but I figure he just got attacked by a mordicant so he has a reason to act a little unusual._

_When I wrote this chapter I had a rough idea of what I wanted to happen but I wasn't sure how I would get it to happen, then thanks to GOGHOTi (I think) I was looking through some writing prompts from 52_flavours and 31_days and these three all merged into an idea so just to give credit where it is due.  
_

We were twins too poor to have the dignity of separate names.

Glorious eyes that smile and burn.

Only the curious have, if they live, a tale worth telling at all.

_Anyway please review: comments, criticism, praise, even plot ideas if you really want, I'll take it all (though no guarantees I'll use plot ideas _ ;)_ )_


	7. Selection and Perfection

_Well here it is, I know it was a longer wait than the others and this one is short to boot but you know what it's like coming up to Christmas (if you celebrate it) I also had the most awful case of writers block to boot._

**_Disclaimer: I only own my additions Garth Nix owns the rest._**

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**Selection and Perfection**

The boy in front of him was motionless and despite his efforts Reece could not read him. He could not tell if he remained still to contain fear or excitement and he could not tell his character. He was a little taller than Reece and fairly attractive, dark haired with good complexion and a lean body. Despite not being able to read him he was still a perfect candidate so Reece would take him. With a gesture he indicated the boy to join the group behind him, seven stood there so far, fifteen had been rejected.

Slowly he moved along the line accepting or rejecting people based on their physical appearance. Later on they would receive positions within the system based on their personalities and skills but for now appearance would do.

He looked along the line at the rest of them there, plenty of faces to choose from. Then he noticed the next one in line; he was a retard, his wide vacant eyes staring into space at a point just above Reece's shoulder while a think line of spittle leaked out the corner of his mouth. Stepping back a little in revulsion Reece made a bizarre little hand sign on his chest and looked around at the people watching him intently.

"Before me stands an abomination, do you not see this people?" Among the crowd there were various mutterings of agreement and unrest, "Well, do you or do you not see it!" There were a few angry mutterings but more cries of agreement. With a single movement Reece drew his knife, spoke a word, and as the blade flashed, decapitated the poor boy.

"This is what we do with abominations." In the crowd a single woman wailed and a handful cheered a little half-heartedly. Putting his knife away Reece continued down the line, selecting his new order of youth.

***

The full moon glimmered on the ice enchantingly. From Lirael's perspective it almost seemed that the ice of the pond glowed in the darkness, a luminescent whiteness stretching out before her where it faded back into darkness some metres away. Despite the touch of spring now encroaching on the land the bitter nights still froze small bodies of water and Lirael was grateful for it. The tranquillity of the scene was rejuvenating.

Touchstone had left them a few miles back and struck out for Belisaere with the guard escort while Lirael and Sabriel had headed for Sindle. It was obviously dark by the time they reached it though and a town like Sindle sealed all its doors and windows when nightfall came so they had stopped just outside and made camp. On her wanderings Lirael had then found the pond which she sat beside now.

It was odd, they were right close to Sindle and even under normal circumstances you could usually feel some dead around. With a necromancer there it would be logical to assume the feeling would be stronger but Lirael could feel nothing. Carefully she went through all the things she could feel, selecting each one and examining it but nothing within all the range of all her senses could feel anything dead.

A sudden snapping of twigs broke the silence and it seemed that in that moment the ice should have cracked as well so unexpectedly was the perfection shattered. "Lirael, you know we have a fire going back there, it's much warmer than here."

Turning with a sigh to face Sabriel she lost the image of the pond from her sight. "You know I don't really mind the cold. I grew up in the glacier after all."

Sabriel's expression was disapproving though, "I'll come back to the fire though, I suppose it is a bit chilly."

With a nod Sabriel turned back and walked back again, before following though Lirael looked back at the pond. A cloud had passed across the moon and all was dull, just a grey expanse in the centre of the clearing… and the ice was indeed cracked.

* * *

_There ya go, with luck I've got over my writers block and the next one will come soon. No promises though because I really don't know what the next few days will be like._

_Spot the hints_ ;)_  
_


	8. Inspection

_Wow, so sorry this took so long to come out but I went on this five day Christian Youth camp with no internet and no time to write, and you know you come back from these awesome things and you're exhausted so you have to catch up on sleep, and because you've gone from this sort of 'hyper-life' you've also got to catch up on your real life when you return to the 'real world'._

_Anyway it's here now and I hope you like it._

_**Disclaimer: The usual.**  
_

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**Inspection**

The dungeon was nice, Reece grinned appreciatively as he took note of the small cells and their heavy iron doors, the torch alcoves with their mordicant statuettes and the lack of locks and keys. Each cell would be sealed by magic and only a more powerful mage or someone who knew the enchantment would be able to unlock them.

Behind him Leif and Knut, his personal butlers, followed warily looking around themselves cautiously. They were now dressed in a similar outfit to Reece, soft boots, good close-fitting trousers, and cloth arm bracers. Their outfits, however, were black signifying that they were the highest ranking members of the white-mancer's household.

Satisfied that the dungeons were acceptable Reece turned and walked briskly back towards the stairs. Despite his apparent youth he was quite tall and the twins struggled to keep up with his long strides.

Up one flight of stairs they came to the lower floor where the kitchen and storage rooms were. Many of the items that had previously been held within the town hall were now being moved into Reece's stronghold and his new household were doing the moving. No one else was allowed in.

On their way up the stairs to the ground floor they passed a girl. She too wore an outfit almost identical to Reece's except hers also included a chest covering. All of it was in a deep shade of purple signifying her to be of the second highest rank within the household and a user of charter magic. She bowed her head deferentially as she passed them on the stairs but the charter light she carried flickered slightly betraying her fear.

_They will come to know that they have nothing to fear from me in time, they are my chosen ones. _Reece's gaze did not flicker as he passed but he followed her with his mind until he was sure she was gone before he chuckled quietly to himself.

Finally they reached the ground floor and, passing the mordicants, exited into the square. There waiting for them was a very small crowd (many had chosen to abstain from the late gathering), and three more of his 'chosen ones'. These ones wore pink outfits that again were identical in design. As he approached he addressed them and said, "Watch closely."

On a makeshift dais in the centre of the square rested the head of the retarded boy who he had killed earlier. "Behold! On this night I will give new glory to the dead and they shall receive more honour than they could in life."

With a harsh free magic phrase two blue-white diamonds of protection formed on the ground, one around Reece and one around the head with a bright blue-white line connecting the two. Reece withdrew the bells Saraneth and Kibeth and with a brief look around stepped into death.

Before him a bright blue-white line extended from himself through the gates of death towards the boy's spirit. With haste he passed through death, appearing only to walk but travelling much faster on the slightest current of free magic. A little beyond the sixth gate he found the spirit he sought. Saraneth rang out in the darkness and the spirit stopped its travel downstream and turned to him. Already faceless the spirit had had much of its substance leeched out by Death. With a flick of the wrist Kibeth's high tinkling notes of power reached out and took on a march of their own whereby Reece commanded the spirit to walk back to life.

Finally, binding it on the very border of life and death Reece emerged back into life. Ice crystals sheared off and shattered on the stone flags as Reece flexed his body. Carefully he put away Kibeth and drew out Mosrael, with a clang Mosrael's bright clamorous note rang out and a darkness formed itself around the head of the boy. Again Saraneth rang out and the darkness took on a shape, once again it was human though this time it had no features, only an impenetrable inky blackness.

"You will serve and obey me as my shadow hand, from now until you pass beyond the ninth gate." Reece's voice rang out with a tone of command that was undeniable, the shadow hand nodded once and the diamonds of protection faded.

"You shall serve Leif and Knut here as if they were me, you shall be the loyal guard of our persons and the perpetrator of our justice." Turning he left them all behind and made his way back to the top room of the stronghold, back to puzzling over the bells again.

***

Lirael and Sabriel rode into Sindle less than an hour after dawn. Around them the townsfolk were busily setting up for the day as they usually did. They had to make good use of the day here because the night was far from safe and guards did not protect them from everything.

Their horse's hooves clipped sharply on the cobbles and their outfits drew many looks. In these days the Abhorsen was well known though so many of these looks were accompanied by smiles. All that day they wandered the town, talking to people and reaching out with their minds, but not once did they find anything dead, the people were unusually happy as not a single dead thing had come to the town in months.

Finally they packed it in and paid for a room in one of the inns to stay the night, in the morning they would leave and look elsewhere.

* * *

_Ok I realise the second bit of the narrative is a complete plopp but I couldn't remember anything important I had to put in there so it just sort of happened. If you have any suggestions I'll change it but otherwise I'll move straight onto the next chapter. (The next chapter will be the same no matter what gets written in here though so do not be afraid to suggest, if there was something you wanted to see happen now is your chance!)_

_Next chapter coming soon and this one's a doozy, you might finally find out some solid fact about Reece's past __so don't miss out, I promise it wont be anything you could expect!!!_

_Oh and R&R I love you all! :D  
_


	9. Of Dreams, Visions and Memories

_Haha, here it is, I told you it was coming quick. No give-aways though, you have to read it yourself. (Then you have to review =P)_

**_Disclaimer: Garth Nix owns the world, death, magic in all its varieties, Mogget, Lirael etc._**

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**Of Dreams, Visions and Memories**

Reece lay on the thin mattress of his bed of metal and stone. His bells, knives, boots and clothing lay on the floor beside him so he slept naked in the chill tower room. For an instant his eyelids fluttered as they do when one dreams and then with a crackling noise ice covered his entire body from head to toe as his consciousness passed into death.

_Reece dreamed, in a dark room he carried some books for his master, a scholar. Turning a corner he bumped into a boy perhaps a year younger than himself, his long messy mousy brown hair concealing his features in the dim light. "Thief!" he cried. The boy looked up in terror and screamed, white charter light poured from the very air around him as symbols whirled around and Reece knew darkness. When he awoke to the face of his old master all he could remember was the gold charter mark from the boy's head._

With a splash he stumbled to his knees, dragged towards the first gate, he saw the first gate's waterfall and passed through. In the second precinct he caught a pitfall and wedged himself in so he would not wash away, looking around he couldn't remember how he got here, the vision of his first encounter flickering through his mind still. A light flashed, he swore he saw one, even though he was in death. He turned to look…

_The sun's glare caught him unprepared as the window shutter opened, shielding his eyes he let go of the window frame he had been holding and tumbled down of the chair to land with a crash. The old master came to see if he was alright and sent him outside to get some fresh air. Wandering through the shadowed alleys he found himself looking for something yet he didn't know why. Finally he came across a door hidden behind trash and he opened it. Led there by some force he did not understand. He stepped inside and in the dim light he couldn't see anything, suddenly he was tackled, held against the wall and kissed fiercely. Then he was alone again, that same golden charter mark burning itself into his memory._

Reece awoke in shallow water, looking around he realised he was in the third precinct of death. Struggling to his feet he blinked once before realising it was too late; a wave caught him and tossed him along. He struck the ground once.

_The plank of wood that had struck him lay on the ground some distance away, the wall behind him bore a great hole. On the floor above another explosion shook the building as a great lance of light shot forth from one of the mages in the street. They were striking at his master. He'd been caught performing necromancy. Reece hadn't even known it but it was there and the villagers deemed it 'unclean' so the other charter mages were here with a mob to get rid of him. Running he stumbled down steps and burst out of the front door, as he watched an arc of fire spread from the top of the building and struck back at the charter mages, three of them left as cinders while the others scattered. Then one of them raised their hands and a greater mark glowed in the air. The building was struck by purple lightning and exploded, collapsing into rubble taking his master with it. He was tossed through the air and buried, the last thing he saw was a pillar of purple flame arcing into the sky._

Reece came back in the current of the fourth precinct, standing he looked around. Just metres away the deceptively short waterfall that was the gate roared away and the current pulled at his ankles but otherwise the area was relatively calm.

_He awoke in calm, in a comfortable bed with candlelight flickering on the walls. Beside him sat a boy, the same boy from before, he wasn't sure why but Reece instantly liked him. He recognised the inn and knew the innkeeper. It seemed she had insisted that no scruffy ragamuffin would stay at her inn and so his hair had been cut and brushed. Now clean Reece could get a better look at him. He smiled and Reece melted, he'd been saved by a complete stranger and he was overwhelmed by the feeling of relief and gratitude. Then the woman who was the innkeeper came in and realising he was awake bustled him off for bath where he was unceremoniously stripped and put in the bath, he found he barely had the strength to stand himself and was oddly grateful for the treatment. Soaking with his eyes closed he was unprepared when the boy came racing into the room in the nude and jumped into the bath with him. Water splashed his face and he spluttered._

He fell through the waterfall and was spat out into the fifth precinct, desperately he grabbed for the black bridge and reached it, where he hauled himself up and stood on the narrow bridge, a fine line of blackness stretching out before him. He collected his thoughts and looked around, he knew he had to go on now though, something was calling him. Carefully he stepped out onto the bridge…

_He sat with Kaddison, as he'd discovered the name was, staring into his liquid blue eyes in an embrace under the setting sun. They'd been walking a fine line hiding their secret and living with the villagers but it was over, soon they would have to run because someone had found them and was even now running back to the village with news of their 'unclean' behaviour. They would savour this moment though, this last jewel in a peaceful time together. The sun finally set and the torches appeared from the direction of the village, their fine line had been cut and now it was time to run._

Reece came back to himself on the far side of the fifth precinct, his feet had carried him across the narrow bridge and the fine black line that marked its existence now stretched out behind him, a line he no longer trod. He stepped through the gate to the sixth precinct with all it's hordes of dead, he was here now, and he would not turn back.

_Kaddison was dead, he had wept over his body when the villagers had left and he had cast all manner of spells until he was exhausted. When he had finished every living thing for a hundred yards was dead or dying and the air itself burned with his pain… and Kaddison's soul had been bound to the truth of his body in life. Now he crept through the town avoiding the villagers, the guards and the protective enchantments. Slowly he worked his way to his old masters building, still it sat as a pile of rubble and he opened it up again, clambering his way down to the underground library and bringing it to life again with light._

Reece stood in the short stretch of the river that was the seventh precinct and looked up at the wall of fire, he was nearly there…

_There by the lights of the charter and by the blessing of time he searched and found. He had the secret to controlling life and death, he had the tools of his master, and he would find his way. He entered into death and made his way through cautiously, using everything he had learned, the words of power and the caution of fear. Reciting the incantations and passing through each gate in turn. When finally he passed through the curtain of fire and stepped through into the eighth precinct and found his love waiting for him. They came together and Kaddison spoke for the first time in too long, "Could it be, we can be together outside of time as well as inside?"_

The dream faded and Reece found himself to indeed be in the eighth precinct, though this time there was no one to meet him there. Looking around he could not see anyone, no dead, no living, no necromancers, nothing. The precinct was unusually empty. In the almost complete darkness he cast around with his eyes and his mind but he found nothing, he was completely alone in the eighth precinct. Surely it would not lead him into the ninth precinct? Beyond the ninth gate? There was a loud explosion and he spun to look.

_The roof of the library blew off, the ice that now encased its entire interior shattering and melting into pools across the room, ruining the books beyond repair, destroying the secrets they held. Reece stood with the spirit boy beside him. His icy charter mark flared with his power but in the end he did not use charter magic. He had never been good at it anyway. With a screeching noise a wave of free magic ripped itself from his throat and spread out. A half dozen buildings collapsed under the force and nearly two dozen people died in that alone. Drawing Mosrael, Reece rang the bell for the first time in his life. It's high, piercing tones spread out from the ruined library in a tone that literally woke the dead. Those people just dead, dead rats from the sewers, even from the graveyard beyond the town. A horde of uncontrolled dead rose. As Reece climbed back up to street level Kaddison beat him to it and with a greater mark of the charter brought fire raining down on the village. When he reached the street level Reece was at the centre of it all, an orange tinged white demon, his clothes even sapped of their colour during his trip into death now blazed with the reflected light of the fire. The dead ran rampant and the villagers ran in a panic, burning, being eaten or being trampled by their fellows. The hordes and the fire followed them away from the village, if any escaped they were few, few indeed._

Reece found himself in the ninth precinct; he felt no desire to look up though. There was a sound and he turned as someone else came through the darkness into the ninth precinct. He was no longer alone.

***

Lirael tossed on her mattress in the inn, Sabriel slept soundly in the next room but she could find no sleep. The door creaked and a small white cat crept into the room. Soundlessly he padded across the room and leapt up onto Lirael's chest where he cocked his head and blinked once. Together they froze and passed into death.

When Lirael landed in death she was confused, she'd been having a dream about being chased through the palace at Belisaere by something dead but she hadn't gone into death, and she had no idea how it was possible in her sleep. No sooner had she started thinking coherently again though than the world spun around her into a green and grey blur and she was staggering to her feet again elsewhere in death. At first she could see nothing different, one part of death was much like another in the first precinct, but after a moment she realised she could feel something else nearby. Poking around a bit she finally found the spirit of a boy. When she touched him though his eyes flew open, the brilliant blue in the ocean of dead grey around her caught her by surprise and she gasped.

This moment of distraction was all he needed. Kaddison launched himself up and tackled her pushing them both off balance. Lirael gasped as they hit the water.

_Her fur was soaked, with her wide cat eyes she glared at the man standing some metres away with the wash basin that he'd just tipped on her. Cat eyes? That can't be right. The man before her was wearing the outfit of the Abhorsen. He turned as one of the charter servants entered the room with a piece of parchment and handed it to him, hi eyes opened wide and he beckoned to the cat before racing out of the door. Within moments they were mounted on the paperwing, with a great burst of acceleration it shot off the platform and into the sky, bursting forth from the mist in a great hurry._

Lirael's face burst from the water as she fell through the waterfall into the second precinct. She almost managed to stand again before Kaddison rose from the water again and tackled her over once more. Together they fell into a pit-fall and were swept towards the third gate where they tumbled through into the shallow water.

Panicking now Lirael thrashed wildly in an attempt to get free of this spirit that was attacking her but she could not, not before a wave came up and swamped them both…

_The paperwing touched down in the middle of a destroyed village, the air was still smoky and numerous spot fires still burnt in the shells of buildings. The ground was littered with human body fragments, though noticeably there were no whole dead people. The wind blew down from the north fiercely and caused tumbling clouds of dust and ash to swirl through the air. From her position on the paperwing's wing she watched as the man who was Abhorsen swore and began searching the village, calling out to anyone who was still alive._

Lirael came back to herself in the brief moment of stability as she passed into the fourth precinct, struggling with the boy still her focus was continually distracted by visions, images of death and terror. A necromancer had risen to great power and he had brought many towns under his control through the fear spread by his first great massacre. She saw whole towns destroyed by the dead and battles fought by the Abhorsen and the king's armies.

Together Lirael and the boy tumbled through the fourth and fifth precincts and came to rest in the sixth precinct before the images let up in their intensity. Oddly enough there were few dead in their immediate vicinity, despite the masses that Lirael could feel just on the outskirts of her senses. Then, almost as if it had been triggered by the mass of dead a very specific, clear vision intruded on her mind.

_She sat on the wing of the paperwing next to the Abhorsen and watched from above, at the base of the Clayre's glacier a large army of dead and living barbarians faced off against the last imperial army… and it was losing, slowly the imperial troops were gaining ground, reducing the army of dead one by one. When it seemed a though victory was certain though a massive form rose amidst what remained of the dead army. A mordicant of massive strength, it lunged forwards and in one movement took out three soldiers, and again with its next swing. They scattered before it like chaff but even it could not hope to be successful against the number that it faced._

_But it was not supposed to be successful._

_From the rear of the dead army two figures could be seen making an escape, the paperwing flew low to see better and Lirael gasped back in her real self. The boy she was struggling with was one of them! The other was bizarrely all white, almost invisible against the snow. As they neared the top they quickly overcame the Clayre guards that blocked their way and entered the icy domain._

The vision ended suddenly and Lirael found herself in the seventh precinct headed straight for the wall of fire. Desperately she tried to swim against the current back the way they had come but the boy still had hold of her and was dragging her against her will ever deeper into death.

With a whoosh the struggling duo burst into the eighth precinct. Lirael fell apart from the boy and began to drift on the current as the final vision assaulted her.

_The Abhorsen stood in a narrow ice corridor facing the white boy. The other boy, the one she'd been struggling with, was nowhere to be seen, presumably dealt with already. The Abhorsen was breathing hard but the white boy looked like he was still in control. Without warning the Abhorsen attacked with charter and his sword and the boy responded in kind with free magic and daggers, the man who was Abhorsen made a mistake though, he was thrown to the wall with a dagger lodged in his shoulder. The white boy stood over him about ready to strike the killing blow when suddenly she jumped in front, or the cat she seemed to inhabit did. Her collar was loosened and she had this sense of roaring freedom. She watched as the white boys face changed to one of terror and he fled, but she caught him. A white tendril of pure magic reached out and plucked him off the ground before pinning him to the ice, whatever she was now though she wasn't as interested in this quarry. With a blast she embedded the hapless boy in the ice and simultaneously sent the Abhorsen shooting out of the tunnel. Exiting the tunnel she sealed the ice behind her and turned to the Abhorsen with intent to kill. It was not to be though, a silver band swung over her head and as the world went dark the vision ended._

Lirael was dropped through the gate into the ninth precinct where she staggered to her feet and looked around… and came face to face with Reece… the white boy…

* * *

_Dun, dun, dun... A cliffhanger I know! I'm evil right?_

_This one was a marathon though, 3000 words! I'm so proud and I hope you like it. It answers a lot of questions, creates just a couple more (I think) and asks one BIG question. "What is going to happen next?"  
_

_Well you'll just have to wait and see, Muahahahaha!_

_Mogget scratches MasterOfGrey with a claw, "Behave yourself."_

_Me: Sorry..._

_Anyway please, please, please review. Criticism as well as compliments, anything you want to say. I want to hear it! =D  
_


	10. Revealing a Secret

_Have you ever written a cliffhanger and then not known how to get out of it yourself? Well I did that but it's still here finally :D_

_**Disclaimer: Garth Nix owns all the good stuff yadda yadda yadda (But I own the really evil stuff like Reece muahahaha)**  
_

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**Revealing a Secret**

The darkness parted slightly and two people fell through, Kaddison was here and Reece was glad, the boy wasted no time in rushing over to Reece where he embraced him quickly before turning back to look at the second person who had fallen through. This girl, as Reece saw her to be, was wearing the outfit of an Abhorsen. Carefully he watched her, he could swear that there was some other being with her but it seemed little more than a darkness and he could not distinguish it in the low light that bathed the ninth precinct.

Slowly she stood to face them and Reece frowned, she seemed far too young to be an Abhorsen but yet she wore the uniform and the bells. He began to walk in a circle around her, keeping a good distance.

When it got to the point that she could no longer keep an eye on him and Kaddison together she shouted, "Stop! What do you want and why am I here?"

Reece blinked. She wasn't here deliberately? Last time he checked people couldn't just fall all the way to the ninth gate by accident… Cautiously he stepped towards her, unsure of how dangerous she was, no room for mistakes in the ninth precinct.

"I did not bring you here, in truth I do not know why I am here, but I suspect you know someone who does." Reece watched the darkness that clung to Lirael, his mind ticking over; it was the only obvious explanation.

Lirael looked confused until she heard a whisper in her ear, "Just go along with what I do." She was surprised and completely in the dark until she suddenly felt a weight she had not realised existed lift from her back and drop into the ankle-deep water with a splash. When she looked the delicate, fluffy white form of Mogget the cat stood there.

Reece's face quite quickly went from a satisfied smirk to a wary glare. He began to walk slowly back around towards Kaddison, always followed by the cats great eyes.

Mogget's scathing tones cut through the relative calm, "Stop pacing boy, you've been trouble enough as it is so you can bloody well stand still."

Reece froze, if there was one thing in the world he feared, it was Mogget. He knew what that cat really was, a free magic being of horrendous power. His ice blue eyes bored into the cat's watching its every twitch and blink. Mentally he prepared himself for any magic tricks the cat might play on him, as a result he was unprepared when the cat came out with a verbal trick.

"If the parents beat a child where does he run away to?" Mogget's eyes did not flicker or blink.

Reece answered, "To the barbaric north of course, everyone runs to the north because the sn…" Reece stopped and his eyes widened, "No! Danm you, Mogget you stupid cat!" Reece went to lunge forward but in an instant Mogget was no longer the innocent white cat, he had exploded into a towering creature of white burning free magic.

"To you sir it is Yrael." The creature lunged and Reece screamed his frustration as he turned and ran, a wave of free magic rising up underneath him and collecting Kaddison before it plunged backwards though the gate on its way back towards life leaving Lirael with the now harmless Mogget alone in the ninth precinct, now armed with the knowledge of exactly where to find Reece.

***

Back in Life, Sabriel awoke with the feeling of death strong from the next room. Rushing out of bed pausing only to grab her sword she burst into Lirael's room just as she returned to life, the ice crystals breaking off and shattering on the hard floor as she sat up in bed.

Rushing to her side Sabriel looks at her, eyes full of concern completely ignoring Mogget. "Are you ok dear? What were you doing in death in the middle of the night?" Sabriel's questioning voice was layered with all sorts of emotions.

Lirael just looked blankly at her for a moment before understanding dawned, "Oh, never mind, that's not important. What is important is that I know where the white-mancer is!"

Sabriel was completely non-plussed by Lirael's bizarre behaviour until what she was saying sunk in properly, "Quickly we must tell your father."

* * *

_And that's all folks... not for the story just for the chapter_._ I know it's sort of a weird ending but this one was always going to be a little short_.

_I have 3 whole days now though on my own to write whenever I want so with luck I can get the next chapter up soon and I can tell you you'e gonna love it. ;)_

_Anyway R&R as usual. Love you guys who read this story. :D  
_


	11. To Act in Haste and Part 1

_Told you it would be quick and here it is._

**_Disclaimer: I own it all!!!! ... No not really :(_**

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**To Act in Haste and (Part 1)**

Simultaneously, the ice crystals that coated Reece's body shattered and fell, and a patch on the ground some metres away cracked with frost as Kaddison stepped back into life. Reece took only a moment to attire himself in something more than his undergarments before the two of them made their way out into the foyer and out into the town just as the sun rose.

Standing in the centre of the square Reece clapped his hands three times, across the city great thunderclaps echoed through the stone streets in response and high in the tower Mosrael began to ring with vibrant, loud chimes that spread out and echoed back to him from the mountains to the west.

Within minutes the important people were assembled in the square before Reece, some of them were in various states of undress and many of them were looking rather nervous. No doubt Reece's fierce appearance, now stained orange by the dawn sun, did little to assuage and fear they had. Making sure they were each and every one of them paying attention Reece addressed the generals, "Make sure your men are ready, we leave by sunset for war."

Amidst the clamour of questions that immediately erupted Reece simply turned and walked back into the stronghold. The great iron doors clanging shut behind him.

The Abhorsen knew where he was now and he had to act quickly to cripple his enemies before they could come against him. Racing up the stairs to the bell tower he left Kaddison to find and organise all the people within his new order to be in the foyer.

Finally arriving in the bell room he walked straight across to the windows and looked out, yes he was right. All across the hills to the west dead in their hundreds were making their way towards the town, drawn by the ringing of Mosrael earlier. Taking hold of the pull rope with both hands and whispering words of strength Reece yanked with all his might. Saraneth's deep tones rolled out from the town across the hillsides, immediately all the dead stopped in their tracks and then gathered together as was Reece's will. Satisfied he descended the stairs again, never once sparing a thought for the eighth bell still hanging in the tower…

Moments later he stepped into the main foyer again, his pace not having slowed once yet. Here he faced his new order of young people. Out of the many he selected three greens, two blues, three reds, two oranges and one pink The rest he instructed to return to their tasks as usual including the training regime's he had set them, he also told them that now Kaddison had returned he would be instructing the charter users in the more sophisticated uses of the magic. Leif and Knut were instructed to remain behind despite their eagerness to go. Those he had selected stayed with him for the rest of the day as he oversaw the preparations.

Everything was done in haste and by nightfall they were indeed ready to leave. The entire day people had been rushing to and fro, filling packs, preparing carts and beasts of burden, sharpening halberds and axes and oiling the leather armours till they creaked like they were newly made.

With a litany of harsh words Reece cast lights into the sky that drove off the darkness and blotted out the stars, for the area where the army walked, and where it walked to, it was almost as if the sun was indeed risen in the night. He marched them for six hours into the night, his army of living and of dead, before they were allowed to rest and the same for each day after that. Their guiding light always driving an arrow-straight line directly for Belisaere.

***

Two message birds left Sindle bearing messages, one went south towards High Bridge sent to Sameth, and the other went east towards Belisaere directed at King Touchstone. On its way though, the bird flying east was struck down by a hawk… the letter never reached the king. As such the city of Belisaere remained unaware of the white-mancer's location and approach until the lights appeared in the night sky to the west…

Meanwhile Lirael sat on her horse behind Sabriel. The Abhorsen was moving at a punishing pace but despite this Lirael was tired enough to be almost falling asleep in her saddle. Unknowingly they had passed Reece's battle train at a distance of several miles and were now headed straight for Navis where they expected to find the boy and hopefully stop him before things got too far.

Finally they crested the last rise and looked down on the town of Navis. The stone town sprawled below them contained within its walls and in the centre a formidable structure loomed, Lirael's tiredness was forgotten in an instant as she stared shocked at this massive fort-town that she had never known even existed. They rode down to the gates cautiously but it seemed that they had been spotted long ago, as they drew near a boy appeared on top of the walls. Lirael immediately recognised him as the boy that had tackled her in death and said as much to Sabriel.

Sabriel called up to him, "Surrender, we know you're all in there and we know your plans, the army is on its way here now and you will all perish otherwise."

Quietly at first but then louder over time the boy began to laugh, a high child-like laugh that sent goose bumps down Lirael's spine for all its seeming innocence.

"You're too late! The army left days ago," he called, "and we will not surrender… That means you lose." He added to this with a great charter blast of fire that arced out towards Lirael and Sabriel. They had to turn and take their horses away at a gallop.

Lirael didn't need to ask to know where Sabriel was headed, she was exhausted but numbly she just followed behind as Sabriel turned her horse southeast towards Belisaere. In her heart, she knew they were already too late…

* * *

_Dun dun dun..._

_Enough said._


	12. and Die in Chaos Part 2

_Here we go Part 2 (because I know you've secretly been dying for this one.) I may not post any more chapters for a little while after this because I have absolutely no idea what's happening for the next two weeks.I may get lots of time I may get none. *shrug*_

_Anyway, enjoy._

_**Disclaimer: I only own the story not the Nix stuff.** *golem voice* But it's My precious story... *end golem voice*_

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**and Die in Chaos (Part 2)**

Reece stood on the grassy hilltop as the troops made their first assault against the city of Belisaere. Six mordicants were scattered among his troops as well as several hundred dead hands, the mordicants were effective at breaching the walls and the living axe-wielding barbarians easily disrupted the aqueducts creating openings for the dead to enter.

The generals selected from his new order led many of these troops, there were casualties of course, but it had been a long time since the soldiers of Belisaere had had real fighting. That was if any of them ever had, and none of them had ever fought barbarians before, let alone mordicants. They fell like chaff with only small pockets of them putting up real resistance.

He watched one particular struggle with interest. Three charter mages of remarkable skill stood atop a building being protected by nearly thirty soldiers. While the soldiers did their best against the dead hands and barbarians the charter mages took turns lobbing giant balls of fire at the nearest mordicant which was having serious trouble getting anywhere.

He smiled amused, at least he wasn't conquering a completely pathetic city.

He began to walk down the main streets of Belisaere towards the palace, gradually leaving the fighting behind none challenged him as they were all either near the wall or hidden away in their homes with the doors firmly locked.

Except one did challenge him, a soldier from the wall had seen him and followed him on other streets until he could get ahead of Reece and cut him off. Now he stepped out in front of Reece, his sword drawn and a murderous gleam in his eyes.

"You shall go no further white fiend," he cried as he ran at Reece with his sword.

Reece drew both of his knives and spoke a word, they each flashed and the two delicate-looking knives hardened into something stronger than diamonds. As the soldier swung Reece crossed his knives and blocked the stroke pushing it aside. He then jabbed quickly at the soldiers should but the knife deflected off the armour.

When the soldier swung a second time Reece ducked instead and rose only to block the back swing of the blade in the same fashion as before. The swordsman was good but Reece wasn't going to let himself be killed. On the soldiers third stroke Reece pivoted and spun inside the soldiers reach, he jabbed back over his shoulders with both hands and felt the soldier recoil as both blades stabbed into the neck.

Reece stepped away breathing heavily as he watched the soldier slump to the ground. He would not be stopped.

***

When the lights appeared in the sky to the west Touchstone immediately sent scouts to determine the source. When the soldiers reported in he was stunned, he was a good king though and a good leader, within hours he had the troops ready for an attack and when dawn came with the assault they were as ready as they could be.

Now he stood in the throne room with his older generals poring over a map of the city and running through the reports brought in by messenger boys. He wiped sweat out of his eyes as he read through the ninth report saying a group of defenders had been over-run.

"My king, these barbarians and dead are soon going to reach the palace, they are a formidable force that we cannot stand against." The old general who said this leaned on a walking stick. His eyes had grown progressively wilder as time had gone on. Now he looked like he was about ready to crack.

There was an assortment of muttered assents and disagreements among the other assembled generals and dignitaries. One of them spoke up with a suggestion, "Perhaps we should withdraw the troops to the palace and just defend this place? It would be a far easier place to defend."

"And leave the people to the mercy of those dead things? I think not!" Touchstone's angry tone immediately silenced the general until one of the others spoke up.

"If we lose all of our troops fighting in defence of the City then we're all dead, if we withdraw to the palace we can win and then retake the city before they kill everyone." The general said this very matter-of-factly and there was a general muttering of agreement among all the other generals, touchstone had to admit the idea had merit.

It was at that moment though that the building shook and an explosion echoed through the halls. The group turned as several of the guards that had remained at the palace rushed towards the entranceway. Touchstone caught one of them on their way, "As soon as you know what it is report to me ok?"

The guard nodded nervously as he followed his comrades and the generals began to huddle together in fear as there came the sound of shouting from the halls somewhat distant. The guard that Touchstone had caught finally came running back in with two other guards who immediately bolted upstairs. Saluting the king he said, "The palace is under attack by a magician, he may be the one you told us about sir, he's all white."

Touchstone cursed and one of the older generals promptly sat down. Moments later about fifty guards poured into the room from upstairs, all that was left within the palace's upper rooms, and they were just in time. No sooner than they had arrived than the large doors to the throne room burst open under extreme force, the body of a guard sailing through the air to land with a clatter only metres away from the map table.

Reece stood silhouetted in the doorway, a white aura surrounding him and making the air crackle. In one hand he held a long thin knife and in the other he held a bell, the clapper held tightly so it would not accidentally ring.

As he strode into the room the guards formed a ring around him but none of them dared to attack. Slowly the white-mancer approached the king until he was but four metres from his royal person.

Reece unexpectedly sheathed his knife and, now holding the bell in both hands, sank to his knees. With a voice that could have frozen fire he said, "Why hello your majesty, I'm so glad to see you."

He lifted his head and looked at Touchstone… and he smiled… a perfect smile… a perfectly evil smile…

Reece rang his bell, just one note rang out. That was all it needed.

The mournful tone of Astarael echoed hauntingly through the stone palace, it's deep but clear tone piercing deep into the soul of all who heard it. Oddly enough the sound did not escape the palace but no place within the palace was spared from its touch.

King Touchstone was indubitably and irrevocably dead.

* * *

_Shoot me if you want. this is just the beginning..._

_Please R&R, I love you GOGHOTi and Astraels Ashes (a.k.a Timayyyyyyyyy)_


	13. Hope Lost

_I am so sorry to the whole *counts on fingers* 1, 2, ... **3** people that read this! Especially GOGHOTi who I know is gonna kill me lol. That 2 weeks turned into like 3 months.... _

_Blame school, doing last year of high school and the homework is ridiculous._

_Oh and I realise I've completely forgotten Princess Ellimere up to this point but don't worry she'll appear soon. I promise._

**_Disclaimer: If I actually owned all these characters would I be posting this on a fanfiction website? I don't think so.... _;)**

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**Hope Lost**

As the last echoes of Astarael swept through life and death Kaddison stood in the great expanse that was the sixth precinct and studied the dead as they passed him by.

He was looking for one in particular, one which had called him into death all the way from Navis, one that would not flow by without a fight and would be of great value if found. He had felt it as it passed into death and he could still feel it now, and incredible presence that burned its way slowly through death. Quickly he walked through the precinct, tracking the spirit that he felt and before long could also see.

Before long he found it, kicking up spray, its life force burning the dead who it passed by. In this ethereal realm the spirits strength translated directly into liquid light which flowed in and around the water through which it passed.

Reaching the spirit Kaddison pushed his hand into the glow and grabbed the spirit by its upper arm, dragging it out of the water and holding it at arms length where he eyed it curiously. Curiously, for it had not one face but two and its actual face it seemed was always shifting somewhere between both.

Dangling the spirit behind him he made his way back towards life, the light he carried with him parting the dead like Moses parted the sea.

Reece paced the halls of the palace at Belisaere and admired it. Outside the palace his generals were putting up notices and making announcements. The people here would not get speeches, they would not be inspired, they would do what he wanted them to do out of fear or they would die.

It seemed a great number of the soldiers had in fact survived the battle, when they found out that the king had died many of them surrendered and now they would join his army or their families would be killed.

The palace really was an impressive place, gardens, walkways, fortification, towers. It had everything… except a really good dungeon. Instead it had that ridiculous pool with charter stones in it.

He came back into the throne room and seated himself on the throne. It was uncomfortable and so he stood up almost immediately, 'surely' he thought 'these kings and queens must have very thick-skinned backsides if they sat on them all day.'

Finally his optimism failed. With a shout of frustration he beat his fist against the arm of the throne and instantly yelped with pain. After glancing around to ensure no one had seen he proceeded to berate himself and to rail at the walls around him.

The Abhorsen had not been here! Nowhere had the Abhorsen's body been found and at no point had that girl appeared to challenge him. All that had been here had been that pathetic king!

Climbing back onto the throne and ignoring the hardness of the seat he folded his legs under him slouched down into the corner between the back and the arm and proceeded to sulk… he didn't even have Kaddison here for comfort.

… The great iron locks upon the doors slotted into place with a heavy bang, sealing the throne room…

***

Swaying in her saddle Lirael topped the last rise to see Belisaere with Sabriel kneeling on the ground a short distance further down the slope crying.

They'd started seeing the smoke hours ago but Sabriel had ridden on with that grim look of determination on her face. Despite almost falling asleep on her horse Lirael couldn't help but admire that in her.

Now though it seemed they had indeed been too late. Any battle which had taken place was already over. The gates were either sealed shut or destroyed and guarded by the hulking forms of Mordicants and the feeling of the dead emanated from the city so strongly that it was almost nauseating.

The hillside was covered with small shrubs and bushes. Here, further south than Navis which was still locked in winter, spring had begun to take hold and the plants were beginning to bud and bloom. Wordlessly Sabriel plucked one from the bush next to her. A beautiful variety of blue with a white centre, often called the Abhorsen's flower because of the matching hues it held with the outfit. Indeed a large one grew in the Abhorsen's House garden.

Lirael had thought that she might have plucked it to smell or to keep, but Sabriel had other ideas. With one hand she dug at the soft ground with until there was a reasonable depression, within which she laid the newly budding flower before burying it.

Still silent she climbed onto her horse and set off... south again. In her exhausted state all Lirael could manage was to turn her horse's head in the right direction and begin to realise that even though Sabriel was older, she had a lot more experience at this sort of stuff.

Behind them he fires of Belisaere continued to burn, trails of smoke weaving through the sky above, stark grey against the dawn blue.

* * *

_Ok it was a tad melodramatic, shoot me_. _She's mourning him cause he's dead, at least I didn't kill off anyone else yet. (If you can figure out why it's the Abhorsen's flower and not the king's flower you get a prize though.)_

_No guarantees about when the next one is coming. I do still have 4 days left of my school holidays in which I *might* get another chapter done but after that it'll probably be another couple of months again._

_I hope you still like it and remember to R & R... especially if you want that next chapter before school again._ :P


	14. Reunion

_One term later and here we are again, hope you enjoy._

**_Disclaimer: Same as always..._**

* * *

**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**Reunion**

Darkness receded as the chill of ice crystals on skin prickled Kaddison's being, behind him a tether held the twin-spirit safely just on the border of death. Before him a dimly lit room slowly came into view, barely lit by some dusty light filtering through small cracks in the wall near the ceiling. The place was strewn with rubble and in many places the ceiling had collapsed entirely, spewing broken beams, ash, rock and its accompanying powder into the room.

Cautiously he stepped into the room, feeling his way through the dimness but after stepping on broken pottery three times the pale boy whispers a few words and a small charter mark, glowing warm orange, springs into existence before him, the golden one on his forehead blinking briefly.

With light it is but moments before he finds the bodies. The first one is a woman, probably the mother, a large slab of plaster and broken wood covered the torso where the fatal wound no doubt occurred and for that Kaddison was grateful.

The next two were the ones he sought, twin girls, probably eleven years of age. The two were locked in a death embrace with identical expressions of terror on their faces. A single long splinter had been the cause of both their deaths, entering through the back of one, crossing the gap between them and then protruding from the back of the other.

Doing his best to remain quiet, though there was no real need to, as he gripped the splinter with one hand and began trying to pry it loose from the bodies. It had soaked up a lot of blood and was sticky with it, giving off that sickly sweet scent that blood gave off when it was dead but not dry.

Eventually it came loose and he dragged the locked bodies out onto a clear patch of floor. He then placed one hand on each of their backs and began to mutter. A golden light like honeysuckle flowed out from the point of contact, rippling across their bodies like water, focusing around injuries and glowing brilliantly such that the other charter light was completely lost in the brilliance.

Eventually Kaddison slumped and rested on straight arms against the rock floor, the task complete. They were now healed, though still dead. With failing strength he pulled on the tether, frost cracked across the ground and formed tiny crystals on all their skins and a moment later they awoke, confused…

… Moments after that they screamed.

Back in the throne room Reece stopped his sulking and stood up. Something was different now, he could feel it, and he had an idea.

***

Lirael was most definitely asleep when her horse suddenly neighed and pranced sideways, waking her from her doze and very nearly unseating her. The first thing she noticed was lights, lights before her from lamps and windows, the next thing she noticed was the five or so armed men around them with arrows. Then she realised it was dark.

Sabriel had her hands raised, and the one who appeared to be in charge was brandishing a sword, just visible by starlight. It took a few moments for her to realise he was talking.

"… your business here? There's been smoke and fire and no messages and now you arrive unannounced."

Again Lirael marvelled at how calm Sabriel seemed, especially after all that had happened and what would now be nearly two days without sleep and nothing but hard riding.

"To answer your first question I am Sabriel Abhorsen and this is Lirael my apprentice. I think that should more or less explain it all."

The man fell silent and then called an order, a torch was lit and brought close so that he could examine them, their outfit and the bells which they carried. At last satisfied he stepped back, "My apologies your majesty."

Shuffling nervously he barked, "Put your swords away you laggards," as he tried to restore a little of his dignity.

"Are you here for your daughter?" His question is quiet and held some aspect of fear within it. Sabriel's answer of yes seemed to confirm the worst possible things he had thought about.

"My name is Captain Senlac, please follow us and we will take you to your daughter.

"Mother!" barely had the hard wooden doors opened before a dark haired figure had launched itself at Sabriel and locked her in a hug so fierce Lirael honestly wondered if her back was breaking.

"Oh we were so worried, last night even from here the sky was orange on the horizon and then all day there was those horrible grey plumes of smoke. Then there was…" she rambled on for ages crying and somehow it seemed, trying to justify her behaviour.

"There, there, calm down. It's ok now." Sabriel held herself with a weary strength, but the look on her face said that she certainly didn't believe her own words.

After a moment a butler came up to them dressing in royal livery, "Will you be staying tonight?"

Sabriel merely nodded, "Everyone should sleep now, and we will talk more in the morning."

There was general consensus and a few servants came forwards to guide them. Eillimere seemed reluctant to go but had clearly not slept well from worry and seemed content to do as she was bid for now.

Just as she was being led away Lirael noticed Sabriel call in Captain Senlac and walk with the butler and him to one side. She knew what they were talking about and she felt she should be there to help but she was so tired… she didn't even remember reaching the bed before she was waking again the next morning.

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_Now review cause I wanna hear who's still reading!!_


	15. The Beginnings of a Mighty Plan

_Well, I know it has been an insanely long time but I think, just maybe I'm coming back to this story. Hope you enjoy._

_**Disclaimer: The usual drill, I only own the cool bits. **  
_

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**FLAWLESS EVIL**

**The Beginnings of a Mighty Plan**

The bells rang throughout Belisaere, from every watch tower and church steeple, and in every cookery's baking house. Wherever there was a bell to be rung it was ringing and it was the middle of the night.

All across the city people rang the bells, shouted and caroused on Reece's order. The white-mancer in contrast stood in the commandeered royal bedchamber, a room which he had little taste for but one which he had retreated to because it was mercifully soundproof, or almost.

The city had had a noticeable decline in its population during the capture, however the stores of alcohol hadn't. Having an unruly city behind him was no way to launch a conquest of the known world and so he had decreed a festival of the bells, essentially the first thing that had sprung to mind, as an excuse to make the people more cheerful, and with the reduced person to alcohol ratio the populous seemed to be having a right good time.

While this went on his more trustworthy people that had come with him out of the north went about making certain repairs and 'improvements' to the city which would otherwise have disrupted the people.

With them all drunk and disorderly though it was easy to slip a few things past them, things which otherwise would have been met with general outcry, such as the construction of certain thoroughfares for the dead, small tunnels or adjustments which allowed grave dirt to be placed strategically to give his undead minions access to the city despite the aqueducts.

Opening the door and allowing some of the cacophony into the room Leif and Knut, mainly messenger boys for now, entered a wildly excited look in their eyes.

"It's done, it's done!"

Reece almost smiled, but didn't. It wouldn't do to let on how he found their existence amusing. Gesturing imperiously with one hand he follows them out down and down to the lake beneath the palace.

Here a crude, but most likely effective, construction of wood had been set up over and around the charter stones. It was not complete but it was a framework that would suffice.

There were several workers down here still, and some of them the more talented users of the Charter that had been marked and recruited, but Reece dismissed them all with a glance.

As they sloshed out and slowly made their way back up to the palace proper Reece circled the construct slowly, checking to make sure nothing was out of place. It was only basic but it had to be right.

Finding something slightly amiss he utters a harsh word, slamming the flat of his hand against on of the stubborn planks of wood which lay off-kilter on the edge of the charter stone. With a violent grinding sound it jumped sideways, shaking the whole frame before sliding almost smoothly into the right spot.

Satisfied Reece finished his circle, checking briefly that the cave was deserted before raising his hands and exhaling.

He doesn't speak but a fine mist seems to flow out with his breath, like the puff of your breath on a cold morning. But unlike warm breath it did not rise, it fell.

Stealthily it crept across the gradually stilling surface of the water, spreading progressively until it had surrounded the construct and filled the space within the ring of stones. Then, with faint tendrils first, it began to flow up the wooden beams of the construct as if it were water running down but in reverse.

Up from each of the carter stones it rises until it flows into the geometric pattern above the ring and begins to drip down in fine trails to rejoin the mist at the water's surface.

Now water begins to flow within the mist and across the structure until it is a vast shimmering gazebo of water weaving shapes and patterns.

Finally Reece speaks, another single free magic syllable and in an instant the entire structure snap-freezes, as well as the water around the stones, creating a plinth of ice in which the stones are embedded, a majestic structure hanging delicate and white above it.

Reece smiles.

There is no crack of frost, with everything frozen already, as Kaddison and the two twin girls appear, having travelled bodily through death.

Reece's secret weapon had arrived.

Sameth stood upon a plinth in the main square of high-bridge, just watching. Over the last couple of days he had become somewhat obsolete, not being experienced, as the generals and guard captains took over final preparations. Most of the army that was likely to come had already come, stragglers could stay behind to guard high-bridge in the case of an attack, though the city was rather well defended, both by its natural position and its magical defences.

Final wagons were being packed and what there was of the southern 'army' was packing up its tents outside the city skirts.

Sameth had to admit it was pretty impressive, to him anyway, though he'd never seen an army mobilised but he couldn't conceive of a force which could beat these men. With the sun shining and their armour glinting they looked like a force to be reckoned with.

He started suddenly as a hand touched his arm, spinning to find the captain of the high-bridge guard.

"My lord, your friend is waiting for you with the royal escort. All will be ready to depart shortly and you should head out to join the troops before the wagon shift clogs the streets."

Eyeing the man shrewedly he says, "Nick you mean? Just cause he's from Ancelstierre doesn't mean he bites, use his name."

He wasn't actually sure why that annoyed him but it did. Without acknowledging the captain further he turns and starts walking towards the escort stables, they'd leave for the sea by the afternoon and then march north to Belisaere, hopefully avoiding possible ambushes in the forest. It was going to be a long week.

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_So yes, if you ever want to see another chapter R&R!_

_Hehe, on another note love you for reading this. See ya next time (hopefully).  
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